What is a 3D Printing Application?

Everything you need to know about finding the right 3D printing application

If you’re going to dive headfirst into the world of 3D printing, you’re going to need a couple of things:

Raw material to work with

A 3D printer capable of producing the end products you hope to make and

A 3D printing application that allows you to design and engineer the components that the 3D will bring to life

All three of these elements need to exist or your 3D printing dreams will stay just that – dreams – and you’ll never be able to fully take advantage of everything this amazing technology brings to the table.

Of course, the first two elements above – the raw filament material and the printer itself – are rather easy to come by. All you need to do is fork over a little bit of cash and you can have all the filament you need to produce tons and tons of 3D printed elements, and a home 3D printer can be had these days for less than $500.

It’s the 3D printing application that is going to be much tougher to come by – and not because there are only a handful of them available. No, it’s because there are so many to pick and choose from that you’ll have a tough time navigating this part of the process.

But by arming yourself with the inside information we’re able to share below you should be able to really hit the ground running. You’ll have the kind of software and application in your hands that allows you to freely create and innovate with your 3D printer without restriction.

Let’s dig right in!

What is 3D printing application?

Before we get into what you should be looking for in a 3D printing application, it’s critical that we highlight what this software is and why it is so important.

For starters, you’ll want to think of the application side of the process as your blueprints.

This is where you’ll create the actual design and engineering that goes on behind the scenes to make your project a reality, as well as where you finalize all of the commands that will go to the 3D printer you’re working with.

As critical a component in the process as any other, without the right software – software you feel completely comfortable using and working with, and software capable of producing the project you want to make a reality – your 3D printer and your raw material will just sit on the desk like a lump.

It’s the software that brings the design (and your project) to life!

What to look for in 3D printer applications

When you’re buying software (or using the open source solutions available 100% free of charge) for 3D printing there are a couple of things you need to focus on:

The ease and usability of the software itself

The robust design and engineering components of the platform

Whether or not it effortlessly interfaces with the specific 3D printer you have

…and that’s just the tip of the iceberg!

Really try to find technology that pairs nicely with your other components, but also be sure you’re using a piece of software or and application that you can learn and learn to be comfortable with. This makes all the difference!